Interactive system for virtual cinema and method

ABSTRACT

A virtual cinema interactive system includes a server and at least two user terminals. The user terminals communicate with the server. An inviter can invite his friends to watch film together on a virtual cinema displayed on each user terminal, and distribution of virtual cinema seating, talking between film watchers, and film watcher reactions to the film can be recognized and facilitated. A virtual cinema interactive method is also disclosed.

FIELD

The subject matter herein generally relates to virtual cinemas.

BACKGROUND

Virtual reality technology has advanced substantially and offers virtualinteraction for products and services to a wide variety of audiences.For example, virtual reality devices can display virtual cinemas to auser through a headset for the user to watch films and videos on avirtual cinema. However, when the user watches films or videos throughthe virtual reality device, the user does not have the option to invitefriends to watch the film or video.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Implementations of the present disclosure will now be described, by wayof example only, with reference to the attached figures.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a virtualcinema interactive system.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the exemplary virtual cinema interactivesystem of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a priority of seats in the system ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of information of invitees in the systemof FIG. 1, according to a first exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 5, with reference to FIG. 4, is a schematic diagram of seats ofinviters and invitees.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of information of invitees in the systemof FIG. 1, according to a second exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 7, referring to FIG. 6, is a schematic diagram of seats of invitersand invitees.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of vision being adjusted in the system ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of an exemplary virtual cinema interactive method.

FIG. 10 is another flowchart of an exemplary virtual cinema interactivemethod.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration,where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among thedifferent figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. Inaddition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide athorough understanding of the s described herein. However, it will beunderstood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the s describedherein can be practiced without these specific details. In otherinstances, methods, procedures, and components have not been describedin detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature beingdescribed. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportionsof certain parts may be exaggerated to better illustrate details andfeatures. The description is not to be considered as limiting the scopeof the s described herein.

A definition that applies throughout this disclosure will now bepresented.

The term “comprising” means “including, but not necessarily limited to”;it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in aso-described combination, group, series, and the like.

FIGS. 1-2 illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a virtual cinemainteractive system 100 which includes a server 20 and a number of userterminals 40. The virtual cinema interactive system 100 provides avirtual cinema, and the users can watch a film together and interactwith each other while watching the film on the virtual cinema. A numberof modules are executed in the server 20 and the user terminal 40, eachmodule containing a number of programs. The modules include a filmproviding module 22, a film selecting module 42, a cinema buildingmodule 44, a display module 46, a film playing module 47, an invitingmodule 48, a communicating module 50, a determining module 52, a filmsetting module 53, a storage module 24, a seat setting module 54, a seatdistributing module 26, a seat adjusting module 56, a virtual friendgenerating module 58, and a vision adjusting module 59.

The film providing module 22 provides film information and film data.The film information includes film name and film introduction. The filmdata includes film audio and video. The film selecting module 42provides an interface for an inviter to select the film. The cinemabuilding module 44 builds the virtual cinema. The virtual cinemaincludes a film screen and a number of seats. The display module 46displays the virtual cinema. In response to selection of a play filmoperation, the film playing module 47 plays the selected film on thefilm screen.

The inviting module 48 provides a friend invitation interface for theinviter. The inviter can then select friends, and the inviter andfriends can watch the film together. The communicating module 50transmits information of the inviter and the friends invited by the user(hereinafter called “invitee”) to the server 20. The server 20 transmitsthe information of the inviter and the invitation to watch a film to theinvitee. In response to an invitee's operation (e.g. accept invitationor decline invitation), the determining module 52 determines whether theinvitation of the inviter is accepted.

The communicating module 50 further transmits the information of theselected film to the server 20. The server 20 further transmits theinformation of the selected film to the invitee. Thus, the invitee candecide to accept or decline the invitation of the inviter based on theselected film.

The film setting module 53 provides a film setting interface for theinviter to set a playing time of the selected film. The playing time maybe one hour from now or right now. The server 20 transmits the playingtime of the selected film to the invitee. Thus, the invitee can decideto accept or decline the invitation of the inviter regarding the playingtime of the selected film.

The seat setting module 54 provides a seat setting interface for theinviter. The inviter can then define a friend class among the invitees,and the defined friend class determines priority seating assignments foreach invitee in the virtual cinema. The storage module 24 stores thenumber of chat communications made by the invitee to the inviter.According to the invitee, the friend class of each invitee, the numberof chat communications, the priority of seats, and a seat distributionregulation, the seat distributing module 26 can determine how todistribute seats amongst the invitees. The friend class includes a bestfriend class and a general friend class. The seat adjusting module 56provides a seat adjusting interface for the invitee to adjust thedistribution and number of seats. Thus, when the invitee is notsatisfied with the distributed seat, the invitee can change the seat. Inthe virtual reality, the virtual friend generating module 58 generates aportrait of the friend positioned in the distributed seat.

After accepting the invitation, the invitee also can invite his friendsthrough the inviting module 48 and set friend classes and his priorityof seats in the virtual cinema, through the seat setting module 54.

When all of the invitees do not invite a friend to watch the film, theseat distribution regulation is that of preferential seat distributionto the invitee with a higher friend class ranking. When the friend classrankings are the same, preferentially seat distribution assigns seats tothe invitee having communicated the most with the inviter. Referring toFIG. 3, the inviter setting the priority of seats in the virtual cinemais that the first seat on the left of the inviter seat is number oneseat, the first seat on the right of the inviter seat is number twoseat, the second seat on the left of the inviter seat is number threeseat, the second seat on the right of the inviter seat is number fourseat, the first seat in front of the inviter seat is number five seat,and so on.

Referring to FIG. 4, the inviter A invites invitees B3, C4, D5, E3, andF2 to watch film. The letter in the B3, C4, D5, E3, and F2 representsinvitee identity. The number in the B3, C4, D5, E3, and F2 representnumber of chat communication made by the invitee o the inviter. Theinvitees B3, C4, D5 are best friend class. The invitees E3 and F2 aregeneral friend class. When distributing seats, the invitees B3, C4, D5are given preferentially distributed seats, and according to number ofchat communication made by the invitee to the inviter, seats aredistributed in turn to the invitees D5, C4, B3. Then, according tonumber of chat communication, seats are distributed in turn to generalfriends E3, and F2. Thus, the B3, C4, D5, E3, and F2 are given numberthree seat, number two seat, number one seat, number four seat, andnumber five seat. The seats of inviters and invitees are shown in FIG.5.

When an invitee invites his friend to watch the film, the seatdistribution regulation is that a first preferentially distributed seatis given to the invitee who does not invite his friend, a secondpreferentially distributed seat is given to the invitee who invites hisfriend and belongs to best friend class, a third preferentiallydistributed seat is given to the invitee invited by an invitee belong tobest friend class, a fourth preferentially distributed seat is given tothe invitee who invites his friend and belongs to general friend class.A fifth preferentially distributed seat is given to the invitee invitedby an invitee belonging to general friend class, and when the invitee isin a same priority level, a preferentially distributed seat is given tothe invitee having talked more times to the inviter.

Referring to FIG. 5, invitees can invite his friends. In the embodiment,the inviter and the invitee who invites friends set a same priority ofseats as shown in FIG. 3. In other embodiment, the inviter and theinvitee who invite friends are set different priorities of seats.Referring to FIG. 6, the inviter A invites invitees B3, C4, D5, E3, andF2 to watch film. The invitees C4 and E3 do not invite friends but theinvitees B3, D5, and F2 do invite friends.

Referring to FIG. 7, when distributing seats, first, according to apreferential distribution of seats to the invitee who does not invitehis friend, distributing seats to C4 and E3 who do not invite friends,and according to when the invitee is in a same priority level,preferentially distributing seats to the invitee having talked moretimes to the inviter, thus distributing number one seat to C4 anddistributing number two seat to E3.

Second, according to a second preferential distribution of seats to theinvitee who invites his friend and belongs to best friend class,distributing seats to D5 and B3, and according to when the invitee is ina same priority level, preferentially distributing seat to the inviteehaving talked more times to the inviter, thus distributing number threeseat to D5 and distributing number four seat to B3.

Third, according to a third preferential distribution of seats to theinvitee invited by an invitee belonging to best friend class and whenthe invitee is in a same priority level, preferentially distributingseat to the invitee having talked more times to the inviter, thusdistributing seats to J5 and K4 who are invited by inviter D5 who isbest friend of A to number one seat and number two seat of inviter D5.Seats are also distributed to G7, I5, H3 who are invited by inviter B3who is best friend of A, to number one seat, number two seat, and numberthree seat of inviter B3. Number three seat of B3 has been distributedto other people and number four seat of inviter B3 distributed to H3.

Fourth, according to a fourth preferential distribution of seats to theinvitee who invites his friend and belongs to general friend class, thusdistributing seats to F2, because numbers one to eight seats have beendistributed to other people, and number nine seat of inviter Adistributed to F2.

Fifth, according to a fifth preferential distribution of seats to theinvitee invited by an invitee belong to general friend class and whenthe invitee is in a same priority level, preferentially distributingseats to the invitee having talked more times talking to the inviter,thus distributing seats to L9, M7, and N3 who are invited by inviter F2who is general friend of A, to number one seat, number two seat, andnumber three seat of inviter F2. Since number two seat of F2 has beendistributed to C4, number one seat, number three seat, and number fourseat of inviter F2 are distributed to L9, M7, and N3. Therefore, theinviter A, the invitees B3, C4, D5, E3, F2 invited by A, and theinvitees G7, H3, I5, J5, K4, L9, M7, N3 invited by B3, D5, F2 have beengiven seats.

Finally, according to when the invitee is in a same priority level,preferentially distributing seats to the invitee having talked moretimes to the inviter, thus the invitees O3 and P6 invited by H3 aregiven number one seat and number two seat of H3. Therefore, seats aregiven to all of the people.

Referring to FIG. 8, the vision adjusting module 59 keeps a relativeposition between the inviter's seat and the invitee's seat, and adjustseach people's seat to be a center seat of all the seats in the virtualcinema. Thus, the inviter and the invitees can all get a good view.

Further referring to FIG. 2, the virtual cinema interactive system 100further includes a voice capturing module 60, a voice recognizing module62, an action controlling module 64, and a voice processing module 28.The voice capturing module 60 captures a person's voice. The person canbe the inviter or the invitee. The communicating module 50 transmits theinformation of the person and the captured voice to the server 20. Inaccordance with the information of the person, the server 20 transmitsthe captured voice to the friends of the person. The voice recognizingmodule 64 recognizes special noises, for example, applause, snoring,screaming, and so on. The action controlling module 64 controls virtualfriend portraits to act corresponding to the special noise. For example,the voice recognizing module 64 recognizes applause and the actioncontrolling module 64 controls that virtual friend portrait to clap hishands. According to the relative position between the person's seat andhis friend's seat, the voice processing module 28 determines intensityof the voice or noise.

The virtual cinema interactive system 100 further includes talkingobject determining module 66. The voice recognizing module 62 furtherrecognizes a name of a friend spoken by a voice. The talking objectdetermining module 66 determines the person who has same name as therecognized name. The communicating module 50 transmits the determinedtarget person to the server. The server 20 transmits the voice to thedetermined target person.

The virtual cinema interactive system 100 further includes a sensingmodule 68 and a cursor controlling module 70. The sensing module 68senses a rotation of the person's head. The cursor controlling module 70controls a cursor to move to a virtual friend portrait following therotation of the person's head. When the cursor is kept on the virtualfriend portrait for longer than a preset time, the talking objectdetermining module 66 determines the person is talking to the friendcorresponding to the portrait of the friend.

The server 20 further transmits the information of the person who istalking to the target person. The display module 46 displays theinformation of the person on a screen of the user terminal held by thetarget person. When the person's information is displayed on suchscreen, the target person can rotate his head to make the cursor move onthe person's information to talk to the person. The person's informationincludes a picture of person's head.

The virtual cinema interactive system 100 further includes an imagecapturing device 80 and an image recognizing module 72. The capturingdevice 80 communicates with the user terminal 40. The image capturingdevice 80 captures a person's image and transmits the person image tocorresponding user terminal 40. The person can be the inviter or theinvitee. The image recognizing module 72 recognizes an action of theperson. According to the action of the person, the action controllingmodule 64 controls the portrait to do corresponding action, for example,stretching or yawning.

After playing the film, the display module 46 displays a sharing icon.Following the rotation of the person's head, the cursor controllingmodule 70 controls the cursor to move on the sharing icon. In responseto a sharing operation on the sharing icon, the action controllingmodule 64 controls the portrait to move before the film screen in apreset speed. The voice capturing module 60 captures the voice aboutreactions to the film. The communicating module 50 transmits the voiceexpressing feelings about the film to the server 20. The server 20transmits such vocal expressions to the inviter and the invitee in thevirtual cinema. Thus, the inviter and the invitee in the virtual cinemacan hear the reaction of others to the film.

The virtual cinema interactive system 100 further includes a filmprocessing module 30, a fragment determining module 32, and a fragmentplaying module 74. The film processing module 30 segments the film intoa number of fragments and sets keywords for each fragment. The fragmentdetermining module 32 determines the film fragment which has the keywordspoken by the person. The display module 46 displays the determined filmfragment. Following the rotation of the person's head, the cursorcontrolling module 70 controls the cursor to move onto one or more ofthe determined film fragments. In response to spoken keyword, the filmplaying module 47 plays the one or more film fragments.

In the embodiment, the film providing module 22, the storage module 24,the seat distributing module 26, the voice processing module 28, thefilm processing module 30, and the fragment determining module 32 areexecuted in the server 20. The film selecting module 42, the cinemabuilding module 44, the display module 46, the film playing module 47,the inviting module 48, the communicating module 50, the determiningmodule 52, the film setting module 53, the seat setting module 54, theseat adjusting module 56, the virtual friend generating module 58, thevision adjusting module 59, the voice capturing module 60, the voicerecognizing module 62, the action controlling module 64, the talkingobject determining module 66, the sensing module 68, the cursorcontrolling module 70, and the image recognizing module 72 are executedin the user terminal 40. In another embodiment, the storage module 24and the seat distributing module 26 are also executed in the server 20.

FIGS. 9-10 illustrate a virtual cinema interactive method. The order ofblocks in FIG. 9 is illustrative only and the order of the blocks canchange. Additional blocks can be added or fewer blocks may be utilizedwithout departing from this disclosure. The exemplary method begins atblock 902.

At block 902, the inviting module 48 provides a friend invitationinterface for an inviter invites invitees to watch film in the virtualcinema.

At block 904, the communicating module 50 transmits information of theinviter and the invitee to the server 20.

At block 906, the server 20 transmits the information of the inviter anda film watching invitation to the invitee.

At block 908, in response to an inviter's operation, the determiningmodule 52 determines whether agrees the invitation of the inviter.

At block 910, the film setting module 53 provides an seat settinginterface for the inviter sets friend class among the invitees and apriority of seats for each invitee in the virtual cinema.

At block 912, according to the invitee, the friend class of eachinvitee, number of chat communications made by the invitee to theinviter, the priority of seats and a seat distribution regulation, theseat distributing module 26 distributes the seat to the inviter and theinvitee, when the friend class is same, preferentially seat distributionassigns seats to the invitee having communicated the most with to theinviter.

At block 914, the virtual friend generating module 58 generates virtualfriend portraits positioned in the distributed seat.

At block 916, the voice capturing module 60 captures a person's voice,the person can be the inviter or the invitee.

At block 918, the communicating module 50 transmits the information ofthe person and the captured voice to the server 20.

At block 920, according to the information of the person, the server 20transmits the captured voice to his friends.

At block 922, the server 20 transmits the information of the person to atalking object who the person is talking to.

At block 924, the display module 46 displays the information of theperson on a screen of the user terminal 40 of the talking object.

At block 926, after playing the film, the display module 46 displays asharing icon.

At block 927, the sensing module 68 senses a rotation of the person'shead.

At block 928, following the rotation of the person's head, the cursorcontrolling module 70 controls a cursor to move on the sharing icon.

At block 930, in response to a sharing operation on the sharing icon,the action controlling module 64 controls the person's virtual friendportrait to move before the film screen in a preset speed.

At block 932, the voice capturing module 60 captures voice about filmfeelings.

At block 934, the server 20 transmits the vice about film feelings tothe inviter and the invitee in the virtual cinema.

At block 936, the film processing module 30 segments the film to anumber of film fragments and sets keywords for each fragment.

At block 938, the fragment determining module 32 determines the filmfragment having the keyword the person talking.

At block 940, following the rotation of the person's head, the cursorcontrolling module 70 controls the cursor to move on one of the filmfragment.

At block 942, in response to a playing film fragment operation, the filmplaying module 47 plays the film fragment.

The shown and described above are only examples. Even though numerouscharacteristics and advantages of the present disclosure have been setforth in the foregoing description, together with details of thestructure and function of the present disclosure, the disclosure isillustrative only, and changes may be made in the detail, comprising inmatters of shape, size, and arrangement of the parts within theprinciples of the present disclosure, up to the full extent establishedby the broad general meaning of the terms used in the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A virtual cinema interactive system comprising: aserver; at least two user terminals communicated to the server; theserver comprising: at least one processor; a non-transitory storagesystem coupled to the at least one processor and configured to store oneor more programs to be executed by the at least one processor, the oneor more programs including instructions for: providing film informationand film data; building a virtual cinema, the virtual cinema comprisinga film screen and a plurality of seats; displaying the virtual cinema;providing an invitation interface for an inviter to select invitees tojoin in watching the film; transmitting information of the inviter andthe invitee invited by the inviter to the server; transmitting theinformation of the inviter and a film invitation to the invitee;determining whether the invitee agrees to the invitation of the inviterin response to the invitee's operation; providing a seat settinginterface for the inviter to set a class of friend in relation to eachinvitee and a priority of seats in the virtual cinema; storing times ofthe invitee talking to the inviter; distributing the seat to the inviterand the invitee according to: the invitee, the class of friend inrelation to each invitee, the times, the priority of seats and a seatdistribution regulation; generating virtual friend portraits positionedin the distributed seat; wherein after agreeing to the invitation, theinvitee also can invite his friends and sets classes of friends and hispriority of seats in the virtual cinema; and wherein the class of friendcomprises a best friend class and a general friend class, when aninvitee invites his friend to watch the film, the seat distributionregulation is that a first preferentially distributing seat to theinvitee who does not invite his friend, a second preferentiallydistributing seat to the invitee who invites his friend and belongs tobest friend class, a third preferentially distributing seat to theinvitee invited by an invitee belong to best friend class, a fourthpreferentially distributing seat to the invitee who invites his friendand belongs to general friend class, a fifth preferentially distributingseat to the invitee invited by an invitee belong to general friendclass, and when the invitee is in a same priority level, preferentiallydistributing seat to the invitee having more times talking to theinviter.
 2. The virtual cinema interactive system as claimed in claim 1,wherein when none of the invitees invites his friend to watch the film,the seat distribution regulation is that of preferentially distributingof seat to the invitee having a higher ranking of the class of friend,and when the class of friend is same, preferentially distributing seatto the invitee having more times talking to the inviter.
 3. The virtualcinema interactive system as claimed in claim 1, wherein all of theinviters set a same priority of seats.
 4. The virtual cinema interactivesystem as claimed in claim 1, wherein the non-transitory storage systemis further configured to provide a film setting interface for inviter toset a playing time of the selected film, the server transmits theplaying time of the selected film to the invitee.
 5. The virtual cinemainteractive system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the non-transitorystorage system is further configured to transmit the information of theselected film to the server, the server further transmits theinformation of the selected film to the invitee.
 6. The virtual cinemainteractive system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the non-transitorystorage system is further configured to keep a relative position betweenthe inviter's seat and the invitee's seat, and adjusts each person'sseat to a center seat of the seats in the virtual cinema.
 7. The virtualcinema interactive system as claimed in claim 1, wherein thenon-transitory storage system is further configured to capture aperson's voice, the person is the inviter or the invitee, transmit theinformation of the person and the captured voice to the server,according to the information of the person, transmit the captured voiceto the friends of the person.
 8. The virtual cinema interactive systemas claimed in claim 7, wherein the non-transitory storage system isfurther configured to recognize special voice, control correspondingvirtual friend portrait to do action corresponding to the special voice.9. The virtual cinema interactive system as claimed in claim 8, whereinthe special voice is applause, the non-transitory storage system isfurther configured to control corresponding virtual friend portrait toclap his hands.
 10. The virtual cinema interactive system as claimed inclaim 7, wherein the non-transitory storage system is further configuredto sense a rotation of the person's head, control a cursor to move on avirtual friend portrait following the rotation of the person's head,when duration of the cursor keeps on the virtual friend portrait longerthan a preset time, determine the person will talks to a talking objectcorresponding to the virtual friend portrait, the server transmits thevoice to the talking object.
 11. The virtual cinema interactive systemas claimed in claim 7, wherein the non-transitory storage system isfurther configured to play the film, after playing the film, display asharing icon, follow the rotation of the person's head, control thecursor to move on the sharing icon, in response to a sharing operationon the sharing icon, control the person's virtual friend portrait tomove before the film screen in a preset speed, capture the voice aboutfilm feelings, transmit the vice about film feelings to the server, theserver transmits the vice about film feelings to the inviter and theinvitee in the virtual cinema.
 12. The virtual cinema interactive systemas claimed in claim 11, wherein the non-transitory storage system isfurther configured to segment the film to a number of film fragments andset keywords for each fragment, determine the film fragment having thekeyword the person talking, display the determine film fragment, followthe rotation of the person's head, control the cursor to move on one ofthe determined film fragment, in response to a playing film fragmentoperation, play the film fragment.
 13. A virtual cinema interactivemethod comprising: providing a friend invitation interface for aninviter to select friends to watch the film together: transmittinginformation of the inviter and a film watching invitation to theinvitee; in response to a user's operation, the invitee deciding toaccept or not accept the invitation of the inviter; providing a seatsetting interface for the inviter to set a class of friend in relationto each invitee and a priority of seats in the virtual cinema; accordingto: the invitee, the class of friend in relation to each invitee, timesof the invitee talking to the inviter, the priority of seats and a seatdistribution regulation, distributing the seat to the inviter and theinvitee, wherein the seat distribution regulation comprises when theclass of friend is same, preferentially distributing seat to the inviteehaving more times talking to the inviter; generating virtual friendportraits positioned in the distributed seat; after playing the film,displaying a sharing icon; sensing a rotation of the person's head;following the rotation of the person's head, controlling a cursor tomove on the sharing icon; in response to a sharing operation on thesharing icon, controlling the person's virtual friend portrait to movebefore the film screen in a preset speed; capturing voice about filmfeelings; and transmitting the voice about film feelings to the inviterand the invitee in the virtual cinema.
 14. The virtual cinemainteractive method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising: capturinga person's voice, the person is the inviter or the invitee; andtransmitting the captured voice to the friends of the person.
 15. Thevirtual cinema interactive method as claimed in claim 14, furthercomprising: transmitting the information of the person to a talkingobject who the person is talking to; and displaying the information ofthe person.
 16. The virtual cinema interactive method as claimed inclaim 13, further comprising: segmenting the film to a number of filmfragments and sets keywords for each fragment; determining the filmfragment having the keyword the person talking; following the rotationof the person's head, controlling the cursor to move on one of the filmfragment; in response to a playing film fragment operation, playing thefilm fragment.